Fairfax City, Va., is mourning the loss of a beloved community member, mentor, and friend. Former Mayor John Mason, who died Feb. 7 at the age of 89, served on Fairfax City Council from 1986 to 1990 and as mayor from 1990 to 2002.
“John Mason lived his values every day and was generous with his time and his commitment to the things he took on,” Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read said. “I see evidence of this all over the City of Fairfax, and I hear it across the region as elected leaders past and present speak of what he contributed to the success of the Northern Virginia region. His investments in the community he loved will reverberate across the generations, and we are the fortunate beneficiaries.”
In addition to his local leadership, Mason served on many regional boards and commissions over four decades. His impact was felt well beyond Fairfax City’s borders through his leadership of organizations such as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Va.
Fairfax City Manager Robert A. Stalzer remembers Mason fondly. “Mayor Mason is synonymous with the City of Fairfax, a truly genuine, selfless and dedicated public servant,” he said.
Mason was born Jan. 27, 1935, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the first child of Anders and Magda Mason. His father was born in Sweden and his mother was born in Denmark. His younger brother Karl was born in 1936. Mason is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jeanette Mason, their four adult children, John, Joanna, and Jeffrey, and his four grandchildren.
John attended Classical High School in Springfield, earned the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 30 at Trinity Methodist Church, and spent many rewarding years as a scout at Camp Woronoak before matriculating at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he studied political science and enrolled in its ROTC program. Mason earned his MA from New York University.
Upon graduation in 1956, he was commissioned in the United States Regular Army in its Airborne program, with stints at Fort Benning, Fort Bliss, and a three-year posting to Hawaii, followed by an assignment to Fort Hood in central Texas. In 1965, he served his initial Vietnam tour with the US Military Assistance Command as an advisor to a Vietnamese railway security battalion. Following that tour, he served at the United States Military Academy as the Senior Armor Instructor in the Department of Tactics. His second Vietnam tour in 1970 included command of 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry. He then served a follow-on command tour with the 5th Battalion, 68th Armor, 8th Infantry Division, and as G3, 1st Armored Division (Germany). His final assignment was as Assistant Director, Operations and Readiness, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff, HQDA. He retired as a colonel.
Following his retirement, he served as vice president at the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and as director of the Transportation Policy and Analysis Center. Mason served as executive director of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and chief executive officer of the Workhouse Arts Center. He also served on the boards of the American Red Cross, National Capital Area Chapter; the Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area Council; the Fairfax Symphony; the Arts Council of Fairfax County; Fall for the Book Festival; and Mason Housing, Inc. (George Mason University). Finally, he served as chairman of the national board of the American Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPO) in 2001.
David Meyer, who served as Fairfax City Mayor from 2017-2022, said, “John Mason was a transformative leader for both the City of Fairfax and our region. As the longest-serving mayor in our history, he repositioned Fairfax City as a regional force, advancing important initiatives in transportation, parks and trails, and investment in new housing and commercial centers. John Mason also enhanced the city’s arts program and our relationship with George Mason University through the Spotlight on the Arts program every spring. He had a lifelong commitment to making Fairfax the exceptional place it has become.”
Flags will be lowered to half-staff at Fairfax City Hall Feb. 7-14 in honor of Mason’s legacy.
